Twin earthquakes in northwestern Afghanistan kill at least 27 people including children

At least 27 people, including children, were killed by two earthquakes that hit Afghanistan before dawn on January 17, 2022. The quakes measuring magnitude 5.3 and 4.9 struck about two hours apart. They devastated three villages and flattened around 800 houses and were felt across the nation’s three northwestern provinces including Badghis, Ghor and Herat. The number of casualties is expected to rise as word comes in from communities in the remote mountainous areas.